Einohbis peters co



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

HENRY HINTERHOLZNER, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

PERM UTATlON-LOCK FOR BOXES,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,104, dated December 20, 1898.

Application filed January 10, 1898. Serial No. 666,124. (No model.)

of which the followingis afull, clear, and ex act specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a front view of the upper part of the lid; Fig. 3, a front view of the box with the lid removed; Fig. 4, a front view of the locking-head with part of the block removed, and Fig. 5 a sectional view of my improved box provided with the locking devices in accordance with my invention.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views of the drawings.

My invention relates to so-called safeboxes, and it consists of a receptacle for valuable papers, documents, jewels, and the like that may be immured in a wall or embedded in a piece of furniture and of mechanism for locking the lid upon it.

The construction of the receptacle and also of the mechanism for locking thereupon the lid is disclosed in the sectional view, Fig. 5. The receptacle orbox A may be of any shapesquare, oblong, circular, or ellipticaland is provided on one end with an extension which I call head-piece a and on the opposite end with a dovetailed trunnion g, projecting above the plane of the box. Lid B corresponds in shape to the box, including the head-piece a, and is provided on its lower end with a dovetailed recess f, fitted to receive the correspondingly-shaped trunnion g of the box. Box A and lid B are hinged together by pivot b, rotatably secured in the head-piece a by plate 1; and passing through slot 6, provided in the head-piece of the lid. Pivot b is provided on its upper end with a flanged knob d and serves as means for holding the disk D and lock-block O in place. Slot e (shown in Fig. 2) permits the lid to be shifted on pivot Z) to engage trunnion gin recess f. A circular recess h on the lower end of slot 6 is provided to receive the tumbler i, which is a disk of soft iron fitted to' snugly fill the recess h and when dropped into this recess closes up and turns on pivot 1).

slot 6, and thereby prevents shifting of the lid B, which then cannot be disengaged from the trunnion g, and consequently cannot be swung aside.

The mechanism for operating the tumbler iconsists of the lock-block 0, disk D, magnet is, and knob d. Lock-block 0 corresponds in shape and size to thecircular head-piece a It is provided with recess m to'receive disk D, track 01, wherein magnet 70, affixed to disk D, moves, and bore h, serving to receive tumblert'when lifted by the magnet in. Disk D is secured to the flanged knob (l, which in turn is safely riveted to the pivot b. Magnet 7i) is of about the same size and shape as the tumbler 11, but as thick as the recess 91 is deep, and of sufficient strength to lift tumbler i into the bore It. When the tumbler z is attached to the magnet and disk D turned, the tumblert' cannot be carried into the track '71, but is brushed off of the magnet and drops into bore h and eventually back into recess h, when lock-block C is placed in proper position.

To look the box, lid B is first swung upon it and then shifted so that recess f is brought in engagement with trunnion g. Then the block 0 is turned in position to drop tumbler tinto recess 'h. All parts of the lock are then displaced in relation to each other.

To open the lock, it is necessary to place lock-block O in such position that the bore h coincides with the recess h and then to set disk D in such position that the magnet 70 will stand exact-1y above the bore 71.. In such position the magnet lifts the tumbler i into the bore h, and thereby opens slot e. Lid B can then be shifted in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 and, when disengaged from trunnion g, swung around to open the box.

It is advisable to turn lock-block 0, together with disk D, either way when the tumbler i is lifted into the bore h and then to shift the disk D with relation to block C. By this shifting the tumbler is brushed off of the magnet and retained in the bore h ready to drop into the recess h when block 0 is placed in the required position for locking the box.

The surface of disk D does not indicatethe position of the magnet k,'nor is the position of bore it visible upon the block 0. The edge of the disk D and the flanges Z of the block 0 are, however, marked with corresponding graduations, by means of which block 0 and disk D may be set in exact position. The marking of the edge of the disk D and of the flange Z may be varied at will, and thus the combination of the lock varied indefinitely.

The relative position of block 0 and lid B, which must also be determined before the lock can be opened, is indicated in similar manner by marks on flange Z and corresponding marks on the lid B. These marks may be produced by suitable ornaments.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A locking device for looking a shiftable lid upon a box comprising a base, integral with the box, a pivot tnrnably secured in the base, a slot and a circular recess at the end of the slot provided in the lid; a soft-iron tumbler fitted into the circular recess, a block tnrnably mounted upon the pivot and provided with a bore corresponding in size and position relatively to the pivot with the circular recess in the lid; a disk or cover secured to the pivot, and amagnet affixed to the disk in corresponding position with the bore in the block.

2. The combination with a device for shiftably attaching a lid to a box, of a lock for securing the lid when attached to the box in its position, comprising a base, integral with the box, a pivot tnrnably secured therein, a slot and a circular recess at the ends of the slot provided in a corresponding position in the lid, a soft-iron tumbler fitted into the circular recess, a flanged block tnrnably mounted upon the pivot above the lid and provided with a bore corresponding in size and in position relatively to the pivot with the circular recess provided in the lid, a disk rigidly secured to the pivot above the block, a magnet affixed to the base of the disk and a flanged knob holding the parts upon the pivot.

I11 witness that I claim the improvements described in the foregoing specification I have signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY IIINTERIIOLZNER.

Witnesses:

HENRY SCHREITER, ROBERT VAN IDERSTINE. 

